Prayer | TFRC | The Faith Resource Community

11/16/24 Gold Refined in the Fire

“For a long time now, I have called you to be like My Son, Jesus – to be complete in Me – but many of you have refused to listen. You have chosen to remain in your sinful nature, denying My power to change you. You have a form of godliness, but you do not let Me complete the work that is necessary for you to show the world My Son, Jesus. Soon, My Holy Spirit will be moving in a direction that is new to those who haven’t chosen My ways. He will execute My bold judgments to make you bend to My ways, instead of allowing you to continue in your ways. There will no more be the kind of grace from Me that has allowed you to be less than I have determined for your life. The kind of grace that I will send will overpower your hardened heart.

"I advise you to buy gold from Me that has been refined in the fire, before I refine My gold in the fire of judgment, which is also designed to change you. Come to Me now. I am waiting. Now is the time. This season is My final call - My bridal call. Do not turn from Me again, or My eyes of judgment will turn toward your life - for your good and for the glory of My Son, Jesus.”

Hosea 10:12 AMP

Sow for yourselves according to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God); reap according to mercy and loving-kindness. Break up your uncultivated ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, to inquire for and of Him, and to require His favor, till He comes and teaches you righteousness and rains His righteous gift of salvation upon you.

Lifeline II Tim. 3:1-5 AMP

1) But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

2) For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

3) [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

4) [They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

5) For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

Revelation 3:10 NIV

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

I remember when I was a teenager. (Boy! That was a long time ago!) My dad would observe some of my behavior and then take me aside to show me that if I continued on the path I was walking, there would be consequences to my actions. Sometimes he would even show me very clearly what those consequences might be, should I decide not to heed his warning.

Usually I would stand there, hear what he had to say; and then continue on my way, doing exactly what I had done before. As I look back, there must have been some kind of “stupid filter” in my brain that allowed only foolishness in and filtered out all wisdom.

Good stuff - like wisdom, understanding, thoughtfulness - seemed to be a foreign language to me. It was not so much that I didn’t want to think clearly; I just don’t remember thoughts of having any need to do so. Take the importance of driving carefully, for example. It just didn’t enter into the equation as soon as I heard the sound of my mufflers or thought of the three carburetors under the hood.

The thought of applying wisdom to any of my actions never entered my mind once I started the engine. Logic and understanding were also nowhere to be found when I got in my car. I would probably have invited them to go with me as I drove; but somehow, I don’t remember them even being available. It was as though they were not part of my brain cell group.

Sitting on the front lawn on a Saturday night, staring at my impounded car over and over again, eventually eroded some of that “stupid filter.” What a concept. If I would listen to my dad, things would go better in my life.

In our walk with the Lord, “stupid filters” are commonplace. We just call them little sins. God, however, sees the horrible ramifications of our indulgence. He knows the terrible difference between being with Him completely and never really seeing the need to sell out to His ways with all our hearts. Eventually, because of His great love for us, He must take Fatherly action to curb our foolishness. He knows that the consequences are too great for Him to leave us where we are.

Needing to heed what is being said by my Father,

Jim Corbett

11/16/24 The Generation Gap

The Generation Gap

From The Father Factor by Jim and Merry Corbett

Did you know that in God’s eyes there is no such thing as a generation gap? That whole concept is nothing more than spiritually ignorant, psycho-babble hogwash. Spiritually alive parents who have chosen to invest in their children, considering them more important than themselves and spiritually alive children, who have chosen to invest in the family by the power of the Holy Spirit, have no time to buy into that ridiculousness. The generation gap concept was created by spiritually impotent people, who attempted to incorporate their impotence into guiding and directing their offspring. It is nothing more than a way to excuse their inability to lead their children as they continue to walk in their own ways and thinking. What they really need to do is submit to God through Jesus Christ so that the life of Christ can flow in them through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is God’s wisdom, strength, love, etc. that we need – not ours. Ours will not truly get the job done. Of course, each generation has its own tastes and preferences; but communication, understanding, mutual love and respect, discernment, and prayer overcome any differences and allow generations to flow together with peace and harmony.

Raising godly children requires a lifetime of investing in them, most of the time in ways that violate our personal comfort zones. It is going to take a lot of surrender of our own ways to the Lord, a lot of prayer, a lot of selfless choices, placing their well-being above our comfort; and a lot of heart work. Yes, heart work. However, the eventual satisfaction and rewards of seeing a child being formed by God and the character of Jesus going forth through our children more than compensates for whatever price we may have to pay.

Godly children, who eventually become godly adults, are the goal and heart desire of Father God for both marriage and family. His standards are higher than the world’s standards and most of the standards in the typical church of today. He is after the heart of our children, not their compliance. His methods raise the bar in comparison with “normal” child rearing.

[While education is vitally important and must be part of any child’s growth process, which child lives a more significant life – one who has all the degrees in the world, a successful business, and a mediocre life in Christ; or one who has the priorities of God as his priority, dedicating himself to bringing others to significance while having few of the successes of the world?]

Investing in our children God’s way creates generations of strong, healthy children, who are full of integrity and inner wealth and capable of not only overcoming any of the challenges that come their way, but actually prospering because of them. Raising children God’s way brings proper credit to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and a testimony of His eternal work.

Knowing this, each of us has a choice to make at some point in our lives. This moment may be that time for you. You can approach child rearing with an attitude that your children are the ones who need to conform to His ways on their own, or you can settle it in your heart, once and for all time, that who you are and who you become in Christ is a major factor in determining who they will become.

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

11/15/24 God’s Gifts

“Never judge the gifts that I give you with your carnal mind. Never judge what I am doing because things look dark. I am always looking out for your spiritual well-being. My church is cold and far from Me. Now they will need Me. As things become darker, My light will be brighter to those who turn to Me with all of their hearts. As you need Me, I will be there for you. I have told you of difficult times on the horizon. I have counseled you to cultivate an intimacy with Me. Now you will have need of knowing My will and My ways to overcome the challenges that come your way.

“It is not too late. Look upon those things that are happening around you as My gift to you. Anything that draws you to Me is very good for you. I am waiting for you to fully understand your need of Me. When you need Me, you will come to Me. That delights My heart for I know that it is My best for you. I am waiting!”

II Chr. 16:9a AMP

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Heb. 4:16 AMP

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

James 4:7-8a AMP

7) So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

8a) Come close to God and He will come close to you.

Because of what has been prophesied in the Bible and what is happening all around us, I am convinced that in the very near future, you and I will have difficult choices to make. With those choices, we can either succumb to the temptation to protect what is ours and be consumed with our little world, or we can rise to the challenge of overcoming the world’s darkness.

We can dig in with God to find our portion of what He is doing and about to do to further His kingdom. That is the only place of safety. Our flesh may want to reel in fear. Our spirits, however, know that we will be drawn to the Lord as never before. If we submit to His power, we will overcome all of the challenges that will come our way. That is the only option for us if we say that we follow Jesus. It is our act of worship.

Allow me to receive Your gifts with Your heart, Lord,

Jim Corbett

11/15/24 Ask for Help

Being the steward of a Christ-like family is an impossible task. Husbands and fathers, who think they can oversee that kind of family in their own strength, are fooling themselves. Without God’s help and the prayers of others, a mediocre marriage and children who don’t really serve the Lord will more than likely be the result. How can we be content to present that to God one day?

If you care little whether or not your marriage is an example of the relationship between Christ and His church or whether or not your children live significant lives before the Lord, then you can remain a blissful blind guide. You’ll be teaching your family - and many future generations if they follow your lead – to settle for far less than God intends. Why would we do that to those we love?

If, however, you want a marriage and family that pleases God and represents Him properly, then begin by asking Him for help at every opportunity. Make a life of prayer your home base so you’ll have the wisdom, guidance, and power to war against the plots of the enemy. Call upon your family to pray for you, too. Share with your wife and children the responsibilities of your offices of husband and father, and that you understand how much you need the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill them for your family’s good. Make them an integral part of family prayer. Without violating any trusts within your family, call upon one or two trustworthy friends to hold you accountable. Get to work. There is much that needs to be done!

Let’s talk more!

Jim Corbett

11/14/24 Never the Center

“If you are going to walk in My authority to accomplish My work, then you must submit to My total authority over your life. If you want My presence to go forth in whatever you are called to do, then you must remove yours. You can never be the center of anything I call you to do. In fact, you are to be an empty vessel for Me to flow through. I call you to lay your life aside. Exchange your life for Mine. I call you to surrender all that you are and all that you have to the complete Lordship of Jesus.

“You have little power to really affect your world because there is so much of you in all you do. You desire to share Lordship! You desire to own some of My power. You will even distort My Word in an attempt to prove that you can maintain some ownership of your life and still serve Me. How is that working for you? Allow Me to crucify everything of your old nature. Become an empty vessel. Then see Who I really am and what I choose to do through you.”

Ps. 39:7 AMP

And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

5) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 2:22 AMP

Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?

Isaiah 40:31 AMP

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Isaiah 42:25 AMP

Therefore He poured out upon [Israel] the fierceness of His anger and the strength of battle. And it set him on fire round about, yet he knew not [the lesson of repentance which the Assyrian conquest was intended to teach]; it burned him, but he did not lay it to heart.

Jesus asks us to exchange our lives for His. We continually want to share in the lordship of our lives, to take part in our healing, our spiritual growth, and sometimes even our salvation. He asks only that we give our old life away in exchange for His to be lived through us. Why don’t we understand?

Take everything, Lord,

Jim Corbett

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